God of all,
Your dream for your people is that we may be one.
In this time of deep divides and damaging insecurity forgive us for the ways in which we have failed to show solidarity,
and failed to see beyond the identity-based fractures that can obscure the bonds of our common humanity.
Renew our commitment to the work of unity,
drawing hope from the promise of your limitless love which embraces all in true belonging.
We give thanks for the courage and commitment of all those witnessing to unity in the midst of fragmentation,
creating spaces for fellowship and accompaniment,
to sustain us on the journey.
Amen.

Gracious God, we look to you for wisdom, often we look in the wrong places, missing the opportunity to learn of you from others. Your word, as expressed in the Bible, can be difficult to interpret in this divisive world. Show us your way through those we encounter who exude your wisdom in their love for their neighbours, and who emanate your justice from the very depths of their souls. Teach us to engage with the needs of refugees, asylum seekers and immigrants, as all are our neighbours and all are precious people to you. In Jesus’ name we pray and for his sake, Amen.

Among our worries or despair,
you are there.
Among those who are anxious or frail,
you are there.
In the times when we care,
you are there,
and in the times when we fail,
you are there.
In our calling,
open our minds and our hearts to your ways,
so that we may know how to help those in distress.
Enable your Church to be a voice that can be heard,
a people who bring hope to those who feel hopeless,
and to have the courage to face challenges together,
by the power of your Spirit,
Amen.

Dear Lord,
We pray for elderly, housebound individuals, who are often very lonely.
We praise and thank you for their carers, who come into their homes and brighten their days by showing tenderness, kindness, and giving much needed practical support.
Make us more sensitive to the needs of both groups and move our hearts and minds to seek ways in which we may become involved.
Increase our awareness of the conditions under which carers do their work; often earning so little for such a valuable contribution and help us seek social justice for them.
Amen.

Almighty God,
Author and perfector of our lives,
you are God of all creation;
the moon and the stars sing your praises,
the rich and the poor revere you equally,
the joyous and the grief-stricken seek you equally,
the peace-lover and the warmonger look to you for strength for you are God!
You saved the world even before we knew we needed saving.
You provided for our needs even before we were aware of our nakedness.
Your grace amazes us,
your love fulfils us,
your forgiving presence instils hope and our suffering is eased.
Thank you for filling us with your vision.
Thank you for imbuing your wisdom upon us,
Almighty Father, Son and Holy Spirit.
Receive our worship, hear our prayer;
for you are God. Amen!

Prayer is a cry in the dark,
a child’s longing for home,
and a hollowed soul’s seeking of fulfilment.
Prayer is a two-fingered salute
to the hopeless cynicism of endless false promises
and a bunting-waving celebration of love in action.
Prayer is a sacred space,
found in the midst of the unholiest of battlegrounds
and in the desolation of loss.
Prayer is a memory
of long lost conversations with wise elders
and an exuberance of youthful anticipation.
Prayer is a shared longing,
a whispered dream
and an open conversation.
Prayer is a revolutionary act
It is hope in despair
And a grace-filled weaving of love’s intent.
May God bless us with the desire to pray, that we might better act, for the sake of all. Amen.

Since the dawn of the day, O God,
my sisters and brothers have sat with you.
In joy and distress,
in confidence and fear.
As we seek to be one with you, Lord,
we seek to be one with them.
Scripture tells us that, as we bear one another’s burdens,
we fulfil the law of Christ.
Show us what it means to share the burdens
of your planet and its many people;
to think and to act for good
for the whole of your worldwide family,
especially where our advantages
give us greater power
to build a better world for others.
We sit with you now
as our sisters and brothers sit with you,
under the one sun,
made one in your Son.
Amen.

Dear God, we pray that each one of us feels your presence now and every day, whatever the circumstances, time or place. May we all reflect you, in our own particular words, thoughts and deeds, in such a way that others too can come to feel and know your presence throughout the whole world. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

If we see the world through your eyes, Lord,
then we see a vision of our world as your love would have it:
a world where all who are weak are protected and none go hungry;
a world where your riches of creation are shared for everyone to enjoy them;
a world where mutual respect is expressed between different races and cultures and harmony descends;
a world where peace is built with justice, and justice is guided by love.
Give us the inspiration and courage to build it how you see it Lord!
That all may praise together and the only power exerted is the power of your love. Amen.

God of all understanding,
the more I learn about your holy justice
the more I realise that even my prayers can be
riddled with sin.
In praying for other people
I have thought that I know best what they need.
I have taken the seat of judgement
and found others wanting.
I have not challenged the ground
of my own understanding,
allowing prejudice and stereotypes
to flourish unchecked.
Forgive me.
Help me to kneel before your throne of grace
with both confidence and humility.
Remind me to leave the judging and directing to you.
Enable me to pray for others
not by way of the gulfs that divide us
but via the love in which you hold us all in common,
revealed to us in Jesus. Amen.